Feeder for blank scoring and slotting machines



' Oct. 23,1928.

' w. M. FORWARD I FEEDER FOR BLANK SCORING AND SLOTTING MACHINES I Filed ma 1 8, 192'? :5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. 9 2 o a m v a a sa e ma we Y G H m T D v m m D 4 w: w Omv. @v Fl M w. wm M B m F m u m 9 1 a 2 n o w mw Oct. 23,1928. 1, ;sas,'459v w. M. FORWARD- FEEDER FOR BLAIEK SCORING AND S LOTTING MACHINES Filed May 18, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 3 iV ,W? 2% y 9 tH gar Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE. I

WILLIAH Mo ToN FORWARD, E BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORJL'Q 'f COMPANY, INcoaPoEATED, 0E BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE FEEDER FOR BLANK SCORING AND SLOTTING. MACHINES.

Application filed ma 18, 1927. Serial No. 192,372.

This invention relates to sheet feeders,

, and while capable of general use, is particularly adapted for association with scoring and slotting machines that operate on sheets of cardboard or the like employed in the' sheets over a feed table to the scoring and' slotting mechanism of the machine. Feeders of this type, however, have certain de- '15 fects and disadvantagesin thatthe edges of the cardboard sheets are frequently curled up to an extent that they cannot be accuratel v registered and when placed on the table rise abovethe tops of the angular pushers so that the latter slide under the sheets without feeding them forward over the feed table.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a sheet feeder which eliminates the disadvantages above referredto; which turns the curled edge of the sheet down so that it is engaged with and carried forward by the pusher element of the feeder; which is entirely automatic in its operation and supports the rear portions of the sheets during their travel from the feeder through the scoring rolls; and which is a simply constructed, inexpensive and highly efficient mechanism for feeding sheets to scoring and slotting machines or other instrumentalities to be fed.

In order to more clearly understand this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the inventive idea, and wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the feeder;

Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view, show ing operating means for vices of the feeder; 7 I

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through a part of the feeder, showing one of sheet-retaining dea series of sheet-supporting devices secured thereon turned downwardly and forwardly to its operative position.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, the feeder therein shownis supported on side frames each constituted by standards 5 and 6 connected at their upper ends with a side member 7 and secured at their lower ends to the machine foundation 8. Said side frames are connected by suitable means including driven shafts 9, and 10, and bolted or otherwise suitably fastened on the side frames is a table 11 over which the sheets 12, 12 of cardboard or the hke are fed to rolls 13, 14 for forming said sheets into blanks for cartons or the like. The rolls 13, 14 are fixed on' driven shafts 15, 16 respectively of the scoring and slotting machine and receive the sheets from feeding devices that travel over the table 11. These feeding devices are preferably constituted and operated as follows:

of the table 11 during their travel thereon with the chains 18, 18. These pusher bars serve to push the sheets 12, 12 along the table ll'to the rolls 13,14 and, in accordance with the present invention, said pusher bars are provided with sheet-retaining devicesthat v insure feeding of the sheets along the table to the rolls 13, 14 or other devices to be fed.

The sheet-retaining devices are preferably comprised by fingers 22,22, one or more of 21, 21 and automatically moved intoand out of engagement *with the rear edges of the sheets adjacent the sheet-receiving and sheetwhich are'mounted on each of the pushejrs ings provided by blocks 24, 24, disposed rearwardly of the vertical flanges 25, 25 of the pushers and riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the horizontal'fianges 26, 26 of said pushers adjacent the opposite ends thereof. The fingers 22, 22 are fixed in spaced relation on the rock shafts so as to swing forwardly and rearwardly through openings or slots 27, 27 formed in the vertical flanges 25, 25 of the pushers. Carried on the opposite. extremities of the rock shafts, are coiled springs 28, 28, the ends of which are secured to bearing blocks 24, 24 and collars 29, 29, respectively. Said collars are fixed on the rock shafts 23, 23 in any suitable manner and the coil springs 28,28 tend to rock the shafts 23, 23 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, and thereby swing the fingers 22, 22 forwardly and downwardly through the slots 27, 27 to positions in front of the sheet-engaging surfaces provided by the vertical flanges 25, 25.

Fixed on the ends of the rock shafts 23, 23 are arms 30, 30, the free ends of which have journaled thereon rollers 31, 31. These rollers during the operation of the feeder, engage cam tracks 32, 32 that are bolted or otherwise suitably secured at 33, 33 to the sheet-receiving end of the table 11. The cam tracks 32, 32 thus act, through the engagement of the rollers 31, 31 therewith, to rock the shafts 23, 23 in a counter-clockwise direction as the pushers successively pass said cam tracks, thereby swinging the fingers 22, 22 of each pusher rearwardly of its flange 25 so that a sheet may be deposited on the table 11 in front of said flange. The sheets are preferably stacked on a support 34 mounted adjacent the receiving end of the table 11 and are deposited thereon in succession manually orotherwise in front of the successive pushers 21, 21 as the latter travel forwardly on said table. After a sheet has been deposited on .the table in front of one of the moving pushers 21, 21, the rollers 31, 31 thereof travel. past the forward end of the cam tracks 32, 32, whereupon the springs'28, 28 rock the shaft 23 so as to swing the fingers 21,21 forwardly and downwardly through the slots 27, 27 to the position of the parts indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. At the limit of .the forward swinging movement of the fingers. 22, 22 their sheet engaging surfaces lay substan; tially parallel to andin spaced relation with the table 11 so that the rear portion of a sheet placed on said table in front of one of the pushers extends into the spaces between said surfaces and the table and engages the flange 25 of said pusher assaid sheet is fed thereby along the table. Turning of the fingers 22, 22 over the rear edge of the sheet thus retains it in contact with thefiange 25 of the pusher and insures that said sheet will be fed forwardly by the pusher over the table When the sheet approaches the delivery end of the table, the rollers 31, 31 engage cam tracks 35, 35 that are bolted. or otherwise suitably supported at 36, 36 to said end of the table 11. As the forward edge of the sheet passes between the rolls-13, 14, the

rollers 31, 31 are an aged with the cam tracks 35, 35v so that t e shaft 23 is rocked.

in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 and swings the retaining fingers 22,22 upwardly out of engagement with the rear edge of the sheet and rearwardly through the slot-s 27, 27 of the pusher. I

In accordance .with the present invention,

the feeder is provided with sheet-supporting I devices that hold the rear portion of the sheets in proper position durlng their travel from the feeder to the rolls 13, 14 or other i device to be fed. As herein shown these sheet-supporting devices are preferably constituted by pairs of fingers 37 37 disposed at suitable intervals alongthe chains 18, 18 and secured'thereto at 38, 38 forwardly of the pushers 21, 21. As the fingers 37, 37'

travel with the chainsaround the'sprocket wheels 19, 19, the curved ends 39, 39 of: each pair of said fingers engage the rear portions of the sheet and hold it in a sub-.

stantially horizontal position during travel of the sheet from the feeder through the rolls 13, 14. During travel of the'fingers 37, 37 between the sprocket wheels 17, 17 and 19,

19, said fingers lay close to and substantially parallel with the chains 18, 18 and as the fingers 37 37 pass over the table 11, they travel in the grooves 20, 20 (Fig, 4) and lay therein below the top surface of the table out of the plane of movement of the sheets thereon. The chains 18, 18 during their travel below the table 11 preferably pass over idler sprockets one of which is indicated at 40 1). These idler sprockets are fixed on a shaft 41, each end of which is journaled in a suitable bearing 42, bolted or otherwise suitably secured at 43, 43 to the bottom of the side member 7 of the machine framework.

From the foregoing, it will appear, that by the present invention, sheets of cardboard or the like may be accurately and continuously fed to the-scoring and slotting machine or other instrumentality with which the feeder is associated. Moreover, relative displacement between the pushers and the sheets is prevented, particularly when the edges ofthesheets are curled, by the retaining fingers 22, 22, thus insuring that the sheets will always be fed forwardly by the pushers over the feed table.

- WVhile mechanism constructed in accordance with the present'invention is particularly adapted for association with a scoring and slotting machine, it is to be expressly understood that said mechanism may be assoeiated with various other-instrumentalities p to which sheets or the like are'fed. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment thereof illustrated and described herein, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimedis: 1. The combination with means to be fed, and a table or the like over which a sheet is fed to said means, of a pusher member for pushing the sheet along said table, and a movable device on the pusher member adapted to be engaged over the rear edgeportion of. the sheet to insure that it will be pushed along the table by said pusher mem- 2. The combination with means to be fed and a table or the like over which a sheet is fed to said means, of a pusher member for pushing the sheet along said table, a movable sheet-retaining device mounted on the pusher member and adapted to be engaged over the rear edge portion of the sheet, means for moving said device in one direction so that the sheet may be positioned on the table with 1ts rear edge portion in proximity to the front face of said pusher member, and means for thereafter moving the sheet-retaining device inthe opposite direction so that it is engaged over the rear edge portion of the sheet during travel of the latter along the table. a

3. The combination with meansto be fed and a table or the like over which a sheet is fed to said means, a pusher member for pushing the sheet along said table, a movable sheet-retaining device mounted on the pusher member and adapted to be engaged over the rear edge portion of the sheet, means for moving said device in one direction so that the sheet may be positioned on the table with its rearedge portion in proximity to the frontface of said pusher member, means for moving the sheet-retaining device in the ,opposite direction so that it is engaged over the rear edge portion of the sheet durin travel of the latter along the table, an means for moving the sheet-retaining device away from the sheet as it is delivered to the means to be fed.

4. The combination with means to be fed, of a table orthe like over which sheets are fed to said means, an endless conveyor artending transversely of the table, and means arranged on each sheet-pushing memberso ranged to travel on the table and provided at ntervals with sheet-pushing members exas to be automatically turned over the rear edge portion of the sheet advanced thereby along the table. v

5. The combination with the scoring" rolls of a cartonblank making machine,-of a table or the like over which sheets are fed to. said rolls, a conveyor arranged to travel onthe table, and provided'at intervals with sheet:

ushing members extending transversely of the table, and one or more retaining devices pivoted on each sheet-pushing member so'as to be turned over the rear portion of a sheet advanced thereby along the'table.

6. The combination with the rolls of a blank making machine, of a table or the like,

an endless conveyor arranged on said table to receive the sheets at one end thereof and deliver them from the opposite end of the table to the rolls of said machine, means on said conveyor for pushing the sheets along the table, devices pivoted on said means so as to beturned 1n one direction over the rear portions of the sheets, and means adjacent the sheet-receiving and sheet-delivering ends of the table for turning said devices in the opposite direction.

7. The combination with means to be fed,

of a table or the like, a sheet-pushing conand means on the conveyor adapted to sup- I port the rear portion oflt-he sheet as it passes from the table to the means to be fed- 9. The combination with meansto of a table provided with grooves, endless elements travelling in said grooves and providedat intervals with members for pushing sheets along said table to the means to be fed, and devices travelling with the endless elements in said groovcs and adapted to turn upwardly adjacent the delivery end of the table so as to support the rear portions of the sheets as they pass from the table to said means.

10. The combination with means to be fed, of a table provided with grooves, sprockets journaledon' said table adjacent opposed ex tremities thereof, endless chains passing over said sprockets and travelling in the grooves of said table, members secured to said chains at intervals therealong for pushing sheets on the table to the means to be fed, and fingers secured on the chains forwardly of the pusher members, said fingers laying in the grooves of the table during their travel with the chains therein and being adapted to turn upwardly atthedelivery end of the table so as to support the rear portions ofthe sheets b fed.

as they passvfrom the table to said means.

a retaining finger journaled on said pusher member, means for turning said finger rearwardly so that a sheet may be positioned on the table with its rear edge portion in proximity to the front face of the pusher member,

and means for thereafter turning said finger forwardly over the rear edge portion of the sheet to insure that it will be advanced over the table by the pusher member.

12. In a sheet feeder, a table or the like over which the sheets are fed, a conveyor mounted on said table and including a member for pushing a sheet along the table, a retaining finger journaled on said pusher member, means'adjacent one end of the table for turning the sheet-retaining. finger rearwardly so that a sheet may be positioned on the table with'its rear edge portion in proximity to the front face of the pusher member, means for thereafter turning, said finger forwardly over the rear edge portion of the sheet to insure that it will be advanced over the table by the pusher member, and means adjacent the opposite end of the table for turning the sheet-retaining finger rearwardly to an inoperative position.

13. A sheet .feeder comprising a conveyor, a sheet-pusher thereto, a rock shaft journaled on the sheet-pusher rearwardly' of its front face, a sheet-retaining finger fixed on the rock shaft, means for rocking said shaft in one direction to turn the sheet-retaining V finger downwardly beyond the front face of said sheet pusher, and means for rocking the shaft in the opposite direction to turn the sheet-retaining finger rearwardly of the front face of said pusher.

14. A sheet feeder comprising a conveyor, an angular sheet-pusher thereon having a slot in its vertical flange, a rock shaft journaled on the sheet pusher rearwardly of the vertical flange, a sheet-retaining finger fixed on the rock'shaft adjacent the slot of the vertical flange, and means for rocking'the shaft to swing the sheet-retaining finger forwardly and rearwardly through said slot.

15. A sheet feeder comprising a conveyor,

a sheet-pusher thereon, a rock shaft j ournaled on the sheet-pusher rearwardly of its front face, an arm fixed on the rock shaft, a sheet-retalnlng finger secured on said shaft,

the pusher, and a cam for engaging said arm to rock the shaft in the opposite direction and swing said finger upwardly and rearwardly of the front face of the pusher.

16. A sheet feeder comprising a table or the like, a conveyor mounted on said table, members secured on said conveyor at intervals thereon for pushing sheets overthe table. rock shafts journaled on the sheetpushing members, sheet-retainers fixed on the rock shafts so as to swing forwardly and rearwardly of the front faces of the pusher members, spring means .for rocking the shafts and the retaining fingers in onedirection, and cam means for rocking the shafts and said fingers in the opposite direction.

17. A sheet feeder comprising a table or the like, an endless conveyor mounted on said table, angular sheet-pushing members secured on the conveyor at intervals there along andprovided with slots in their vertical flanges, rock shafts journaled on the sheet-pushing members rearwardly of said vertical flanges, sheet-retainers fixed on the rock shafts adjacent the slots of the vertical flanges, spring means for rocking the shafts I to swing the retaining fingers forwardly and downwardly through the slots of the vertical flanges, and cam means adjacent opposite ends of the table for rocking the shafts to swing the retaining fingers upwardly and rearwardly through said slots.

18. A sheet feeder comprising a table or the like, a conveyor mounted on said table, angular pusher members secured on said conveyor at intervals and having'slots in their vertical flanges, rock shafts journaled on the sheet-pushing members rearwardly of said vertical flanges, shaft-rocking arms fixed on the rock shafts, sheet-retaining fingers secured to the rock shafts adjacent the slots of the vertical flanges, means for rocking the shafts to swing the sheet-retaining fingers forwardly and downwardly through the slots of said flanges, and means adjacent opposite ends of the table adapted to engage the shaft-rocking arms and thereby swing the sheet-retaining fingers upwardly and rearwardly through said slots.

In testimony whereof I have slgned this specification.

WILLIAM MORTON FORWARD. 

